He's in a Funk
by ray4ruffles
Summary: The last scenes between Jesse and Rachel in Funk Jesse's POV ; plus Shelby's POV


Jesse felt numb. He watched his teammates pass out supplies, reveling at their own brilliance. He heard Andrea declaring that nobody but _nobody_ messed with Vocal Adrenaline. He then realized that everyone was looking at him expectantly, so he took out his cell phone and punched the number.

He knew they thought nothing of what they were about to do, and by the expression on his face (thank God he was a great actor), they didn't have any doubts that he was on board. He listened to the ring, and despite his outward appearance, prayed like hell that she'd ignore the call.

Not Rachel though; he'd known she wouldn't blow him off. "Hello?" he heard the voice, timid and yet hopeful on the other end.

"Meet me out in the parking lot," he told her, hoping that she wouldn't, that she'd feel too betrayed to meet him; and yet knowing she would. Of course she'd come.

When he saw her step into his line of vision, his face lit up for a split second, basking in her brilliant smile. He raised his arm in greeting, and then realized what he was doing. As she ran toward him (probably imagining some cliché movie scene), he caught a glimpse of the figures in his peripheral vision, and his face grew hard as he steeled himself for what was about to happen.

Sean stepped from behind a car she had passed and Jesse saw the object fly from his hand straight at Rachel's head.

_Splat._

He winced as the white and yellow goo began sliding down her hair, but found himself unable to do anything but watch as she instinctively raised her hands to her face as more and more of her enemy surrounded her, pelting her with eggs.

He heard Andrea step up next to him. "I hear you're a vegan Berry," she jeered. "The souls of all those poor egg fetuses are all on your conscience now."

They laughed, and his heart ached at the pain she was in. However, he'd masked his face so it showed no sign, and was so wrapped up in looking indifferent that he forgot he was holding his own egg until Andrea commanded, "Do it Jesse."

It was then that he hesitated, staring at the egg, realizing the ramifications of his actions.

_It will be the kind of heartbreak that girls like me hold for the rest of their lives. Like Barbara in "The Way We Were"._

"Are you with us or not?" Andrea insisted, the others egging him on (no pun intended).

Jesse walked toward Rachel, each step ripping into his chest. He stared into her eyes, and the deep pain in them did not escape his notice.

"Do it," she whispered. "Break it like you broke my heart."

He kept up his act, because what else could he do? "I loved you," he told her in a voice that showed no passion, no comfort; and he crushed the shell over the top of her head.

Her eyes stayed down as they turned and walked off, and Jesse put all of his acting skills to use as he tried to hide his similarly broken heart.

* * *

Shelby was furious. She was livid. The fact that they were proud of their actions only upset her more; the basic vandalism thing she could easily overlook. It wasn't hard for Will's group to clean up, and when they'd overacted in retaliation, she'd felt justifiable in her insistence of retribution. But now she had to deal with her own group's offense. And on her own daughter no less.

The team sat in their seats, looking simultaneously guilty and proud. She knew they could care less about the damage they'd caused Rachel; that the only reason they felt any regret was because their coach did.

She'd already called Will; apparently he just wanted to see her team on Friday, maybe for his own lecture (or tar and feathering; she wasn't sure she'd oppose). And as her own punishment to the team, she'd relieved his two kids of their retribution of the ruined tires, much to the group's disappointment.

"You know; there's a huge difference between intimidation and torment," she told them for maybe the tenth time. She put her hand to her forehead rubbing her temples. "Between showing them you can crush them as a team on stage and ganging up on _one of them _to try literally crushing their spirit in life…I can't even look at you guys," she said in disgust, waving her free hand toward the exit. "We'll rehearse tomorrow; tonight train on your own—I expect perfection in the morning."

They stood as a group, grumbling about situation, some still defiantly proud of their revenge. However, Shelby noticed Jesse stand a little later, walk a little slower, grumble a little less enthusiastically than the others, and called him back.

"Jess," she sighed in exasperation. "What the _hell_?"

"They slashed our tires, Shelby," he told her angrily. "We couldn't just let them get away with it."

"They were paying us back—"

"The challenge was still there."

"—and Rachel had no part in it. Why her?"

"Just because she's your daughter doesn't mean the rest of us feel as sentimental towards her," he told her, no longer making eye contact. The team had stood as one in guilt; he wouldn't admit that Andrea had come up with the idea based off of his knowledge.

There was a moment of silence while he waited, shame washing over him, for her verdict. "I thought you said you liked her," Shelby told him softly, letting Jesse feel the full weight of her disappointment, and then walked out the door.

* * *

It was Friday, 3:03 pm. New Directions was cheering and celebrating amongst themselves as they walked offstage.

"See you punks at Regional's" the mohawked boy told Vocal Adrenaline as they sat in stunned silence.

Finally, Jesse spoke up. "They did a funk number." He looked at Andrea, eyes wide. "We've never been able to pull off a funk number."

Andrea's face was completely defeated. "Well, that's because we're soulless automatons."

"I am so depressed," Jesse stated, meaning it in more ways than one. The team he'd just left had completely shown them up, and the girl he loved seemed completely unbroken, unlike himself.

As Vocal Adrenaline sat unmoving in the front rows, a figure in the back stood and moved from the shadows to the door. Shelby Corcoran walked out into the sunlight, smiling in infinite pride at the talent of her daughter, and—as much as she disliked admitting it—her rivals. Regional's was going to be _amazing_.


End file.
